Today, on 14 June, the presentation of alternative public monitoring reports on the implementation of Judicial, Legal and Anti-Corruption Reform strategies developed by the Armenian Lawyers’ Association in a participatory manner is underway.

In his opening speech, Mr. Karen Zadoyan, President of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association, referred to the results of the two reports and the issues raised.

“I want to make some important considerations.

1. a) Existing cooperation and vision for relations of independent civil society organizations and government.

At the present stage, independent professional civil society organizations have one major task – to oversee the process of the reforms that the government carries out in anti-corruption, judicial and legal, human rights protection, police and other sectors, rather than initiate new systemic reforms. And the relationship between professional civil society organizations and the government should be built on this guideline. Independent professional civil society organizations should publicly oversee the strategies and process of reform in the above areas, identify gaps, problems, corruption risks and, in the form of professional recommendations for improving those strategies, submit them to the executive, legislative and judicial authorities.

The government should show a professional approach and understanding on behalf of its sectoral bodies in order to cooperate with independent civil society organizations exercising public control in the above-mentioned spheres, to take into account suggestions and recommendations and use them to improve sectoral strategies.

Authorities in the field of justice should refrain from building only ostentatious, ineffective relations with their own civil society organizations, and switch to effective horizontal relations with independent civil society organizations, which will bring positive changes in the life of every citizen in the field of justice

The time allotted for the implementation of reforms in the sphere of justice and related sectors is not inexhaustible, the citizen wants to see their results as soon as possible, now is the time to work professionally, act with integrity and consolidate the professional potential of civil society. Failure to do so will devalue the reforms, leading to citizen frustration and indifference.

1. b) The results of the implementation of public oversight of judicial and anti-corruption strategies.

As a result of the implementation of public oversight of judicial and anti-corruption reform strategies, the following conclusions were reached:

• Low performance indicators of judicial and anti-corruption reform strategies;
• Low indicators of effective cooperation between the relevant bodies responsible for the implementation of strategies;
• Low indicators of effective cooperation between professional civil society organizations and bodies responsible for the strategy;
• The implementation of strategies is more of a veil character for the Republic of Armenia, provides more added value for the international community.
• The institutional basis for the implementation of judicial and anti-corruption reforms is the staff of professional and carrying integrity values selected through fair competitions, not those appointed for political reasons under the guise of veiled competition.
• Reforms in the judicial and anti-corruption spheres should ensure the legal security of the citizen, and not only ensure a positive assessment of the actions envisaged by those strategies, in the form of various notes,” he said.